Hair curler



8, 1956 G. L. TAYLOR 2,760,49

HAIR CURLER Filed Aug. 12, 1954 I NVEN TOR Genevieve 15. wh

ATTORNEY$ 6 Claims. (Cl. 132-43) This invention relates to hair curlers and the like and more particularly to hair curlers of the permanent wave type.

The present invention more specifically concerns improvements in hair curlers of the type providing a Winding pad assembly which may be discarded after a single use, if desired. In brief, a hair curler or winding pad assembly of this type includes a flexible sheet which is adapted to embrace a lock of hair and a bendable wire element for winding the hair and sheet together and maintaining the same in a wound condition. While this type of hair curler has proven popular due to its low price and disposable feature, experience has proven that the curler does not produce the most desirable wave to the hair. That is to say, because of the shape of the bendable wire element the curls are generally wound too tight and compact, often resulting in frizzy waves rather than waves simulating natural curls. Moreover, where the winding pad assemblies are used in permanent waving, the fact that the curls are overly compact and tight greatly impedes the drying process.

With the above in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a re-usable mandrel for use with disposable hair curlers or winding pad assemblies of the type described which will result in a smoother wave more closely simulating natural curls.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a reusable mandrel for use with disposable winding pad assemblies which greatly facilitates the drying process during permanent waving.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of a hair curler which includes a re-usable part and a disposable part which may be easily inserted therein and removed therefrom after use.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of a re-usable mandrel for use with a disposable Winding pad assembly which is simple in construction, easy to operate and economical to manufacture.

These and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent during the course of the following detailed description and appended claims.

The invention may best be understood with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein an illustrative embodiment is shown.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hair curler constructed in accordance with the principle of the present invention, showing the same as applied to a lock of hair before the latter is wound;

Figure 2 is a View similar to Figure 1 showing the hair curler in its final wound condition;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the re-usable mandrel of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the disposable winding pad assembly of the present invention;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1, and

Patent 0 Figure 6 is a partial perspective view illustrating certain details of construction.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is shown a hair curling device generally designated 10 which is constructed in accordance with the principle of the present invention. The hair curling device or curler 19 comprises, in general, a disposable winding pad assembly 12 and a re-usable mandrel 14 which is adapted to releasably receive the winding pad assembly so that a lock of hair may be wound thereabout.

The disposable Winding pad assembly 12 is somewhat of a conventional construction and includes a bendable wire element 16 which is preferably composed of an inner wire having a cover thereon of any suitable material, such as cloth, plastic or the like. Secured to the mid-portion of the bendable wire element 16 is a flexible sheet. 18 adapted to engage a lock of hair and to be wound therewith. The sheet 18 may be made of any suitable material such as Viskon fabric, paper or the like. As shown in the drawings, the flexible sheet preferably includes two superposed layers folded, as at 20, along their adjacent lateral edges. One of the layers preferably has its lower edge extended downwardly to embrace the mid-portion of the bendable wire element 16. A clip 22 is preferably provided to secure the flexible sheet to the bendable Wire element, which may take the form of an elongated U- shaped metallic element which is preferably inserted around the mid-portion of the bendable elementand the sheet and pressed together so that the free ends thereof will be disposed slightly outwardly thereof as shown in Figures 5 and 6.

The reusable mandrel 14 may be made of any suitable material, such as of aluminum, plastic or the like and comprises a hollow tube which is split longitudinally so that the ends adjacent the split provide a slot 24 through which the flexible sheet of the winding pad assembly may extend. The hollow tube includes a reduced central portion 26 and outwardly flared open end portions 28 which facilitate entry of the winding pad assembly. The entire tube may be provided with a plurality of apertures 30 so that air may freely circulate within the curl to facilitate drying. The slot 24 within the central portion 26 of the hollow tube is preferably enlarged as at 32 to receivethe pressed ends of the U-shaped metallic clip 22 so asto hold the latter against rotation therein.

In operation, the disposable winding pad assembly is inserted longitudinally within the re-usable mandrel 14 with the flexible sheet 18 fed through the slot 24 so as to extend outwardly therethrough. It is to be noted that the outwardly flared open end portions 28 aid in directing the bendable element longitudinally therein and as the clip 22 engages the inner surface of the reduced central portion 26, the pressed ends thereof will slidably seat within the enlarged slot 32 so as to hold the clip against rotation therein. After the disposable winding pad assembly has thus been properly inserted within the reusable mandrel, a lock of hair is then placed between the superposed layers of the flexible sheet in the manner shown in Figure 1. An outwardly extending end of the bendable wire element may then be grasped in one hand while the lock of hair embraced by the sheet 18 is held in the other and in this manner, by turning the end of the bendable member, the lock of hair and sheet may be wound around the outer surface of the mandrel. When the hair is completely wound, the outwardly extending end portions of the bendable element 16 are bent over, as shown in Figure 2, to maintain the curler in a wound condition.

When it is desired to remove the curler, the end portions of the bendable wire element are straightened and the sheet and hair unwound and the curler removed. The disposable winding pad may then be pulled out of the 3 re-usable mandrel and thrown away, after a single use, if desired. The mandrel 14 is then ready to receive a fresh winding pad assembly, in the manner previously described.

One of the salient features of the re-usable mandrel of the present invention is the provision of the concave curvature of the outer surface thereof which enables the hair to be rolled thereon so that the latter is not held too tightly. It has been found that the hourglass shape of the mandrel produces curls closely simulating naturally curly hair and does not result in frizzy ends, tight curls and the like, such as are produced when the hair is wound too tightly.

The re-usable mandrel of the present invention is partlcularly useful in permanent waving the hair where the individual locks of hair are wet with suitable solutions and then dried. It is significant to note that the outwardly flared open end portions of the mandrel, which are perforated, enable a free circulation of air through either end thus materially reducing the time needed for drying. The scooping effect of the open end portions is particularly significant where mechanical driers are utilized, such as in beauty parlors and the like, in this condition the air is virtually forced into either end of the tube and out through the perforations substantially the full length thereof so as to more quickly dry the hair.

It is also to be noted that the cooperation between the metallic clip of the winding pad assembly and the enlarged slot 32 of the mandrel provide a simple and effective means for holding the winding pad assembly against rotation within the mandrel. This is important since the ends of the bendable element are turned to wind the curl and therefore relative rotation of the element would result in winding the sheet around the element within the mandrel. Thus, it is unnecessary to hold any part of the mandrel during the winding procedure.

It can thus be seen that there has been provided a hair curler including a mandrel which may be used time and time again so that all a user need purchase to wave the hair is the relatively inexpensive winding pad assembly. With this simple mandrel, which can be economically produced, the elfectiveness of the disposable winding pad assembly is greatly enhanced.

It is to be understood, however, that the form of the invention herein shown and described is to be taken as the preferred embodiment of the same and that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A hair curler comprising a disposable winding pad assembly including a flexible sheet for receiving a lock of hair and an outwardly extending element secured thereto for Winding said sheet and hair together and for releasably maintaining them in a wound condition, and a re-usable mandrel for said disposable Winding pad assembly about which said sheet and hair are adapted to be wound and maintained in a wound condition, said mandrel comprising a hollow tube having a longitudinal slot therein, said tube releasably receiving said winding pad assembly with said element extending longitudinally outwardly therefrom and said sheet extending outwardly through said slot, said tube having means for holding said element against rotation therein so as to insure that said sheet and hair will be wound together around the outer surface of said tube, the portion of said element extending outwardly from said tube being bendable into engagement with the wound sheet and hair so as to maintain the same in a wound condition on said tube.

2. A hair curler as defined in claim 1 wherein said tube has a reduced central portion and outwardly flared open end portions having a plurality of apertures therein.

3. A hair curler comprising a disposable winding pad assembly including a flexible sheet for receiving a lock of hair, an outwardly extending bendable element for winding said sheet and hair together and for releasably maintaining them in a Wound condition and a clip for securing said sheet to said bendable element, and a reusable mandrel for said disposable winding pad assembly about which said sheet and hair are adapted to be wound and maintained in a wound condition, said mandrel comprising a hollow tube having a reduced central portion and outwardly flared open end portions with a longitudi nal slot extending throughout the length thereof, said tube releasably receiving said winding pad assembly with said clip held against rotation within said reduced central portion, said sheet extending outwardly through said slot to be wound with said hair around the outer surface of said tube, and said bendable element extending outwardly from said open end portions to be bent into engagement with the wound sheet and hair so as to maintain the same in a wound condition on said tube.

4. A hair curler as defined in claim 3 wherein said clip comprises a U-shaped member having its free ends pressed together to secure said sheet around said bendable element, and wherein said slot is enlarged in the reduced central portion of said tube to receive the pressed free ends of said clip.

5. For use with a disposable winding pad assembly of the type including a flexible sheet for receiving a lock of hair and an outwardly extending element secured thereto for winding said sheet and hair together and for releasably maintaining them in a wound condition; a reusable mandrel about which said sheet and hair are adapted to be wound and maintained in a wound condition, said mandrel comprising a hollow tube having open ends and a longitudinal slot extending therebetween, said tube being adapted to releasably receive said winding pad assembly with said element extending longitudinally outwardly therefrom and said sheet extending outwardly through said slot, said tube having means for holding said element against rotation therein so as to insure that said sheet and hair will be wound together around the outer surface of said tube in a position to be maintained thereon by said element.

6. For use with a disposable winding pad assembly of the type including a flexible sheet for receiving a lock of hair, an outwardly extending bendable element for winding said sheet and hair together and for releasably maintaining them in a wound condition, and a clip for securing said sheet to said bendable element; a re-usable mandrel about which said sheet and hair are adapted to be wound and maintained in a wound condition, said mandrel comprising a hollow tube having a reduced central portion and outwardly flared end portions with a longitudinal slot extending throughout the length thereof, said tube being adapted to releasably receive said winding pad assembly with said clip held against rotation within said reduced central portion, said sheet extending outwardly through said slot to be wound with said hair around the outer surface of said tube, and said bendable element extending outwardly from said open end portions to be bent into engagement with the wound sheet and hair so as to maintain the same in a wound condition on said tube.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,552,618 Klemm Sept. 8, 1925 2,140,858 Smith Dec. 20, 1938 2,557,060 Frishberg June 19, 1951 2,652,063 Seyifarth Sept. 15, 1953 

